In spite of the odds...

    One night Sean, a canine police officer, was on duty working with his partner, Jax. It was about 3am when he approached a criminal who had managed to evade arrest a few hours earlier. As he made an attempt to arrest him, a fight ensued. Although he was able to call for backup, help was several blocks away. On top of that, he was unable to release his dog to come to his assistance because the button on his vest was malfunctioning. During the fight, he was shot in the face. He knew it was bad because bone and blood were spilling out. He was a Christian and he prepared himself to die. However, an image of his wife and two sons gave him the motivation he needed to fight to live. As the criminal fired at him again, he reached out to grab the gun but the bullet hit his hand. As he hit the ground, police and ambulance arrived and he was rushed to the hospital where he underwent surgery. The criminal was arrested a short while later.
     Sean went on to have a dozen surgeries to reconstruct his jaw and left hand where he lost a finger. Through it all, he gives God thanks for putting everything and everyone in place that night to save his life. He and his canine, Jax, retired from the police service and he went on to serve as a chaplain for a Christian organisation. He sees his experience as an opportunity to bring honour and glory to God. He is thankful that he can be with and enjoy his family and that he can share his experience with others and encourage them to put their faith in Jesus Christ.
    As I listened to this testimony I was encouraged. This man was thankful to God even for what he had been through. He recognised that had he not gone through this, he would not be having the amazing opportunities he is having now to share his faith in God with others. He could be complaining, he could be bitter against God but he isn’t because he sees God as bringing good even out of a bad situation.
    I am linking this testimony to a verse in the song “Praise” by Elevation Worship which says:
     I’ll praise in the valley, praise on the mountain
     I’ll praise when I’m sure, praise when I’m doubting
     I’ll praise when outnumbered, praise when surrounded
     Cause praise is the water my enemies drown in.
​Sean was certainly outnumbered and surrounded by evil forces that night. Everything seemed to be going against him, yet He saw God in it orchestrating everything for his good. When we can be thankful in the valley just as on the mountain, God can do great things in and through any valley situation we might be going through. 
    Yes, it may feel like hell while we are going through. Some days we may wonder if we will ever make it through alive. Other days we may wonder how long it will take before help comes. But, at the end of the day, we praise God because He will use that same negative situation to bring honour and glory to Himself and to do great and amazing things in and through us. We will be able to look back and realise that some of the great things we are accomplishing now are as a result of that one negative thing we desperately wanted to do without!!!
    God’s ways and thoughts are still higher than ours. His ways are past finding out. Sometimes they simply baffle our finite and limited minds and understanding. So, the next time you get the opportunity to praise God, just praise Him, just be thankful even in those negative situations you want so desperately to change. At the end of the day, God’s purpose and plan for everything we go through is perfectly designed for our good!
    If you have not accepted Jesus Christ into your life as your personal Lord and Saviour, I encourage you to do so today. Life is filled with unexpected ups and downs that we can’t always avoid. But, when Jesus is in it with you, rest assured that He is orchestrating everything to bring about that perfect plan He has ordained and designed just for you.

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